ABSTRACT

The Middle East is an area of great importance globally, yet misperceptions abound. Events have made it a region of special interest to the West and so the search for understanding gains momentum. This publication is intended to clarify the region’s complex history and issues. In developing this project, the contributors’ set out to explore seven significant themes that are usually not found in other sources. While many books focus on political history and conflicts, this two-volume work deals specifically with culture, religion, women, economics, governance, and media, as well as the role that the region’s modern history has played in shaping its society and worldview.

part |116 pages

Politics of Governing in the Middle East

chapter |3 pages

Middle Eastern Governance

An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |12 pages

Monarchies in the Middle East

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |12 pages

The Rise of the Radical-Nationalist Regimes

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |12 pages

Instruments of Governance Among the Arab Regimes

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |11 pages

Syria

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |13 pages

Lebanon

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |12 pages

Iran

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |11 pages

Israel

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |14 pages

Iraq

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |3 pages

Postscript

ByBarry Rubin

part |98 pages

Middle East Economics

chapter |5 pages

Economics in the Middle East

An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Section 1. Common Issues

Oil
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |7 pages

Water

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |6 pages

Demography

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |6 pages

Governance

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

Section 2. Societies

Gulf Monarchies
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |7 pages

Iraq

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Arab Levant

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |7 pages

Nile Valley

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Maghreb

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |11 pages

Iran

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Israel

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |4 pages

Conclusion

Great opportunities, unimpressive results, Modest Prospects
ByBarry Rubin

part |106 pages

Middle East Media

chapter |15 pages

The Middle East Media

An Introduction
ByHaim Koren

chapter |7 pages

The Syrian Media

ByKathleen Ridolfo

chapter |9 pages

The Egyptian Media

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Iraq

From Captive to relatively free Media
ByKathleen Ridolfo

chapter |9 pages

Iraqi Politics and Control of the Media

ByIbrahim al-Marashi

chapter |7 pages

The Iranian Media Under President Muhammad Khatami

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

The Israeli Media

ByEytan Gilboa

chapter |7 pages

The Palestinian Media and Anti-Americanism

ByHillel Frisch

chapter |13 pages

The Virtual Frontiers of the Iranian Blogistan

ByLiora Hendelman-Ba'avur

chapter |9 pages

How Satellite TV Challenges State Media Monopoly

Al-Jazeera's Coverage of syria
ByNajib Ghadbian

chapter |11 pages

European-Based and Satellite Arabic-Language Media

ByBarry Rubin

part |73 pages

Religion in the Middle East

chapter |3 pages

Religion in the Middle East

An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Islam and Christianity in the Middle East

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Homogeneity and Diversity

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Protectors of the Faith

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

The Republic of Islam

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

The Republic of Religions

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Islam in Conflict

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

The Jewish State

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |2 pages

Conclusion

ByBarry Rubin

part |74 pages

Middle East Cultures

chapter |2 pages

Section 1. Arab Culture

Middle Eastern Culture: An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |3 pages

Naguib Mahfouz's Children of the Alley

ByPeter Theroux

chapter |7 pages

Culture in Post-Saddam Iraq

ByNimrod Raphaeli

chapter |7 pages

Popular Music, Popular Culture, and Social Change in Arabic-Speaking Societies

Charles Freund
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

Section 2. Iranian Culture

The Post-Revolutionary Culture of Iran: Transformation and Islamization
ByRasool Nafisi

chapter |9 pages

“Cultura Oficial” in Post-Revolutionary Iran

The Case of state-sponsored Political wall Murals
ByLiora Hendelman-Ba'avur

chapter |6 pages

Section 3. Israeli Culture

Israel, Tel Aviv, and the Mediterranean Cultural Theme
ByAlexandra Nocke

chapter |11 pages

Contemporary Israeli Art

ByNissim Gal

chapter |10 pages

Israeli Cinema

ByShmuel Duvdevani

chapter |8 pages

Israeli Popular Music

ByKeren Ribo

part |98 pages

People of the Middle East

chapter |7 pages

The People of the Middle East

An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |12 pages

The Arabs

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |28 pages

The Persians

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |6 pages

Iranian Tribal and Other Minorities

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |7 pages

Turkic Minorities

ByAnna Melman

chapter |12 pages

The Jews

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |11 pages

The Kurds

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

The Berbers

ByYeru Aharoni, Anna Melman

chapter |3 pages

Middle Eastern Peoples and Their Cultures in Flux

ByBarry Rubin

part |76 pages

Women in the Middle East

chapter |8 pages

Women's Status in the Middle East

An Introduction
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

A Short History of Women in the Middle East

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Women in Egypt

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Women in Iran

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |8 pages

Women in Afghanistan

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |7 pages

Women in Saudi Arabia

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |10 pages

Women in Iraq

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |9 pages

Jewish Women in Israel

ByBarry Rubin

chapter |4 pages

Middle Eastern Women

Patterns and trends
ByBarry Rubin

chapter |2 pages

Conclusion

ByBarry Rubin